Iran Has Quarter-Million Intravenous Drug Users

From CDC National Prevention Information Network

May 29, 2007

The deputy head of Iran's anti-narcotics organization, Mohammad Reza Jahani, recently said that the number of intravenous heroin users has reached 250,000 of the estimated 350,000 heroin users in the country. According to the health ministry, the number of heroin users in Iran is increasing by 8 percent annually. Intravenous heroin users numbered 137,000 in 2006, according to the ministry.

Iran is on one of the main trafficking routes for heroin, opium, morphine and cannabis produced in Afghanistan. Designer drugs have also found their way into the country in recent years. Officials estimate Iran has 2 million regular drug users in a population of 70 million.

Jahani said Iran's parliament has more than doubled the budget for treating drug users to 200 billion rials ($21.5 million U.S.), up from 80 billion rials ($8.6 million U.S.) the year before. Iran has begun treating drug users as "criminals who need to be healed" rather than throwing them into already overcrowded jails.

Advertisement

Independent nongovernmental organizations such as Narcotics Anonymous, which set up in Iran in the mid-1990s, have been operating in many Iranian towns and cities. Methadone detoxification projects and needle exchanges have also been introduced to help curb HIV infections, which number 70,000 and are climbing.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.